Castables (refractory castables) can be divided into many types according to their constituent materials, use environment and performance requirements. The following are some common types of castables:

15 common types of castables

1. High-alumina castables: Contains a high proportion of alumina (Al₂O₃), has high refractoriness and slag resistance, and is suitable for high temperature environments.
2. Clay castables: With clay as the main raw material, it has low refractoriness, but low cost, and is suitable for medium and low temperature conditions.
3. Silica castables: Mainly composed of silica, it has high refractoriness, but poor thermal shock resistance, and is suitable for high temperature environments such as glass kilns.
4. Magnesium castables: Contains a high proportion of magnesium oxide (MgO), has good slag resistance and high temperature structural strength, and is commonly used in the steel industry.
5. Chromium castables: Contains chromium ore or chromite, has high refractoriness and good slag resistance, but the chromium element has certain harm to the environment.
6. Silicon carbide castable: contains silicon carbide (SiC), has excellent wear resistance and erosion resistance, suitable for environments requiring wear resistance such as circulating fluidized bed boilers.
7. Lightweight castable: By using lightweight aggregates or foaming agents to reduce the bulk density of the material, it provides good thermal insulation performance.
8. Acid-resistant castable: specially designed for environments that resist acid corrosion, usually contains acid-resistant materials such as siliceous or clay materials.
9. Alkali-resistant castable: used to resist corrosion in alkaline environments, usually uses high-aluminum or magnesium materials.
10. Low-cement castable: uses less binder (cement) to improve structural strength and erosion resistance at high temperatures.
11. Cement-free castable: does not use cement as a binder, relies on chemical bonding or physical bonding to solidify, and has higher refractoriness and slag resistance.
12. Phosphate-bound castable: uses phosphate as a binder, has good high-temperature performance and erosion resistance.
13. Self-leveling castable: has good fluidity and can automatically level during construction, reducing manual intervention.
14. Fast-hardening castables: Add early strength agents or use special binders to achieve higher strength in a short time, suitable for rapid repair or construction.
15. Ultra-low cement castables: Further reduce the cement content to improve high temperature performance.

In addition, there are many special castables developed according to specific industrial applications and special requirements, such as castables for high temperature resistance, anti-penetration, anti-stripping, etc. There may be overlaps or combinations between these types, because different additives and processes can adjust the properties of the material to meet specific needs.